The invention relates to a lighting device having a three-way conductor strip which, in the axial direction, is electrically conductively connected to LED elements arranged one behind another in a row. Each LED element is held by a plastic housing which also surrounds the conductor strip at the level of each LED element and is at least partly translucent.
DE 196 27 856 A1 shows a lighting strip having a lighting device of the generic type. The lighting strip has a multi-way conductor strip, which is fitted with LED elements arranged one behind another in a row. The conductor strip comprises a large number of conductor strip sections which are cut to length and lined up in a row in the axial direction, in each case between two axially adjacent conductor strip sections. A printed circuit board is electrically conductively connected to the strip sections. Each printed circuit board is fitted with an LED element. In this known lighting strip, the individual wires of the conductor strip are sheathed with insulation. The insulation is removed at the end regions of each conductor strip section, and the connection between the respective end of a conductor strip section and the respective printed circuit board is produced by electrically conductive contact elements. In each case, a crimp connection is provided between the contact elements and the wires of the conductor strip section, and in each case a riveted connection is provided between the contact elements and the conductor tracks of the printed circuit board. In the known illumination strip, the end regions of the conductor strip sections, the contact elements, the printed circuit boards and the LED elements are in each case encapsulated in a plastic housing which is at least partially translucent and is formed by injection-moulding directly with a plastic material.